If I may add-in. While I agree that it was not a great move to add in gay marriage, divorce, and Occult, etc. I would like to remind everyone that these are optional parts of the game just as it is optional in real life. You can breeze through the entire game without having to encounter such things (except occult, but I downloaded a Christian Conversion mod for that). Ultimately, if it is your conviction to not play the game, then I fully understand, but I just want to remind people that there is a way to enjoy the game without the sin aspect to it.
You are correct but we are really talking about two different things as Paul did with eating food offered to idols 1 Corinthians 8 . It is possible to personally eat food offered to idols if the idol is meaningless to you but you still have to consider on how your actions effect others. More directly if we as Christians give our money (technically it's all God's money) to things that support and encourage sin you get more things supporting and encouraging sin and more sin as we have with LGBT. When people openly encourage and validate sin as good it can't get more clear to me that is causing my brother to stumble. So I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.
I remember coming across a blog post where a homosexual woman was talking about her first exposure to gay marriage and homosexuality as a child. It was a same sex marriage choice all the way back in Fallout 2 (I think it was 2 but it's been a long time). Before then the concept of homosexuality was foreign to her. A game definitively influenced her. I just got through reading about, according to the wiki,
the "Influence and legacy" of Revolutionary Girl Utena on the creator of Steven Universe, the bisexual and non-binary,
Rebecca Sugar . She wants to, and I quote the wiki...
Sugar has discussed the importance of creating LGBT representation and content, especially in children's entertainment. On Cameron Esposito's podcast QUEERY, Sugar stated "I want to champion LGBTQIA, all of it, content...in G-Rated, family entertainment. I want to do that forever". She also explained how Steven Universe has helped her come to terms with her own identity as bisexual and non-binary. She believes that early and positive exposure to the LGBT community can help queer identifying children avoid experiencing shame in their own identities.
Who will she pass the torch to next and encourage in sin? The cycle will repeat until enough people say "no" by not watching, supporting, or giving money to such media. Whether it is Christians in Christ or sinners in their sin human beings look for validation and encouragement of their values and behavior. It is not enough for us to only "avoid personal sin". To do only that not only selfishly abandons others to their sin it means that one day you will find yourself alone.
"Games" are just another forum of media like books, TV, or movies. They are not special in that respect, however, no media, no purchase, no action should be excluded from considering the consequences that come from that choice. Do my actions further the kingdom of God, His will, or push people farther away from it into sin. We must make an evaluation of whether our actions, which includes everything from what we buy to how we vote, are profitable or counterproductive to Christ.
Yes no media will be perfect as we live in an imperfect world rather ask yourself is it causing you to sin, is it causing others to sin, and ask are your actions profitable to God with it. I've regrets and mistakes in buying some things, likely worse than Stardew, but with others they were the best available option to have any interaction with the world otherwise I would have never had the opportunity to represent Christ to anyone. We must be in the world but never be conformed to it. We are supposed to be changing the world for Christ, not being changed, not being silent, not just following, much less supporting, the popular flow directly or indirectly. I may never change the world but for the love of God I will try to run the race like I mean to win it.
Look I think there are worse games out there than Stardew Valley that I would avoid first. If you've already bought it you already supported the developer's choices, the bridge is burnt, so if there is no temptation to sin with it I see no reason for you not to play it now. If it keeps you from looking at porn or something I can even see a positive but even that can easily become an excuse to ignore quote "lesser" sin, responsibilities, or consequences. As in "Yo I didn't rob a bank or do drugs today I'm going to treat myself to some porn." X.X . A Christian should never go blithely with the world ignoring the consequences of their choices. If you are old enough to comprehend these words there is no neutral, no middle ground, you are either making things better, pursuing God, or making them worse, pursuing the world. Part of the problem or part of the solution. Which sounds more like being salt and light to you?
